Kastamonu council backs revenue support for public transport operators instead of fare hike

The Kastamonu Municipal Council held its first November session on 3 November 2026, chaired by Mayor Hasan Baltacı. Members discussed rising operating costs, passenger complaints, free transport financing, outstanding rental debts from previous periods, and a new tender planned for 2027.

Nurullah Şahin, a New Party council member, said fuel prices rose 76 percent in the first ten months of 2026. He added that fare adjustments of roughly 14 to 25 percent made in October according to ticket type failed to cover increasing costs.

“We do not want to raise fares; we want to cover the increase ourselves.”

Şahin proposed that the municipality cover the increase itself rather than passing it on to passengers. He described public transport as a basic public service that helps students reach school, retirees reach hospitals, and workers reach their jobs.

Ahmet Namlı, deputy head of the AK Party group, also backed revenue support. He said he had raised the issue since the first council meeting in May 2024 and argued that shifting the full cost of free passengers onto paying passengers was not a lasting solution.

The council unanimously referred the proposal on the scope and budget of the aid to the Plan and Budget Commission. No final figure on the support amount or payment method was announced at the session.

The same meeting also covered committee elections, 2027 budget preparations, zoning plan changes, municipal revenues and expenditures, personnel policy, and new service investments.